“I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don’t know why I couldn’t.”-Paul Haggis

Haggis was prominent in both Scientology and Hollywood. Although he is less famous than certain other Scientologists, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, he had been in the organization for 34 years. Haggis wrote the screenplay for “Million Dollar Baby,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2004, and he wrote and directed “Crash,” which won Best Picture the next year—the only time in Academy history that that has happened.

Scientology's support of Prop 8 was the impetus for his leaving. Will the rest of Hollywood follow? Should they?

The article is quite long and I wish I had time to read it right now. I did skim through and see some amazing quotes. I figured it would be worth sharing here.

This is an awesome interview on Scientology. It is with a guy who calls himself Dane Tops that was involved with scientology when Hubbard was still around and talks about how it started off as one thing and degenerated into the cult is today after L. Ron ceased being involved. It takes more of a conspiratorial view on things, but is very interesting.

Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:17 pm

mindtoast

Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 664
Location: australia

not only are they ruining peoples lives but it pisses me off that as an organisation these fuckbags don't pay tax...

hats off to France for labelling them a cult!

Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:08 am

FuseONE

Joined: 11 Jul 2002
Posts: 1715
Location: Newark, DE

The St. Petersburg Times in Florida also did a really good piece on them. I think there's a big HQ near St. Pete so that's why they did it. This article is really good, too. I knew they were really, really out there...but the leader beating people? Keeping re-education slave labor camps? Its pretty obvious this thing has gotten way out of hand.

And was anyone else shocked to learn that Jason Lee and Giovanni Ribisi were both members? I like both those guys a lot as actors....it just makes you wonder...how can people be taken in by this horseshit?

Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:14 pm

OM3N

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 1297
Location: Thailand

I became personally obsessed with Scientology as a teenager.. well when I was 17 or 18. Before all the Xenu stuff was made public.

I remember going to a Sage show at the Knitting Factory on Hollywood Blvd. Me and my 4 buddies showed up about 6 hours early in order to beat traffic into LA.

I convinced us to wander around aimlessly in front of Scientology headquarters so that one of the initiates might invite us in. Lo and behold they did.

We were convinced to take a "personality test" whereafter each of us were told we needed the help of Scientology. I will never forget the look on the people's faces that told us to take the test. One looked like a guy who might have arrived in California with dreams of acting sparkling in his eyes. The other looked like a girl from Mexico who had no more sparkles left to give. At this point 3 of my friends were out of there.

Me and my only ballsy friend decided to see what would happen next. We were led into separate "interview" areas, and asked a lot of personal questions. The ones that stick out in my mind were "When was the last time you inflicted violence upon a sentient being?"
I answered "Do you mean a human?"
He said "No, an actual living breathing body."
"Never." I said
"Would you ever intentionally inflict pain on someone near to you?" He said
That scared me.

That was basically when I got up and left.

If you do even minimal research into the CULT of Scientology you will find the punishment camps in the deserts of California. People who did wrong on the "Sea Org" are dressed in all black and forced to do hard labor for years at a time. People die in these places.

Journalists have tried to go, they get blocked off by bulldozers on the only road leading to it.

Ughhh I digress sorry... Scientology is simply a cult protected by freedom of religion and made acceptable due to celebrities.

I am a very open minded person, but, FUCK U L RON!

Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:30 pm

OM3N

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 1297
Location: Thailand

Oh and here is a website dedicated to the dissection and reality of Scientology.